Top 10 Filipino Christmas Noche Buena Recipes on Budget

Christmas is approaching and or just around the corner; People are getting busy for buying that special gift, christmas tree decors and other Christmas related stuff. And of course, Filipino’s love to plan what recipes to be serve and what are the recipes that fit on their budget. Here’s our top Filipino Christmas recipes list for your Noche Buena on budget:

1. Pork Hamonado

This Pork Hamonado recipe will give you a mouth-watering dish you’ll surely love. There are many versions of pork hamonado and the only ingredient that is consistent to all of them is the pineapple juice. Pork Hamonado dish are usually made of pork, pineapple, and sugar.

2. Creamy Buko Salad

Buko salad is usually served out of a young green coconut shell. This recipe easy and quick to make and it is the perfect dessert for holiday.

3. Special Embutido

Try this delicious and easy to make Embutido, a Filipino meatloaf made from ground pork, onions, carrots, bell pepper, relish, and raisins made more special by adding egg and hotdog filling.

4. Inihaw na Liempo

Inihaw na Liempo or Grilled Pork Belly is a Filipino dish wherein pork belly are marinated in lemon and soy sauce before grilling. Grilled pork belly is a popular dish served in parties, beachside barbecues, or with liquor in the Philippines. With very few ingredients it is easy to prepare.

5. Lechon Manok

Lechon Manok or Roasted chicken is basically a chicken cooked in a home kitchen or over a fire. This dish is considered as a all-time favorite and majority of the Filipinos. It is readily available at practically every street corner in the country and it cost usually around 200-300 pesos.

6. Leche Flan

Leche flan is a delicious egg-based dessert popular in the Philippines, where it is served on celebratory occasions. It’s a perfect pairing of sweet, rich caramel and creamy custard.

7. Macaroni Fruit Salad

Simple and quick, this easy macaroni fruit salad recipe is a breeze to make from scratch. It’s a classic side dish in the Filipino desserts. We love how easy it is to make and how yummy it turns out. 

8. Beef Mechado

Mechado is a Filipino beef tomato stew with potatoes, carrots, and onions. This dish is inspired by a culinary method from Spain. Mechado or mitsado is derived from the Spanish term mecha, meaning wick for the strip of pork fat sticking out of the beef like a candle.

9. Buko Pandan

Buko Pandan is a creamy and tasty dessert made from the combination of green gelatin flavored with the fragrant pandan and the slivers of young coconut meat smothered into the richness of all-purpose cream and sweetened condensed milk is simply divine.

10. Spicy Chicken Adobo

Spicy Chicken Adobo – Adobo is a signature dish of a Filipino culture.
The word “adobo” means seasoning which people usually add vinegar and soy sauce to pork/chicken. This is originated from about 16th -17th century when the Philippines was under the Spanish government. But some sources emphasize that Filipino already cook adobo before Spaniards invade Philippines.

Bonus recipes that you might be interested:

Pork Humba

Humba is a Visayan Braised Pork and a Filipino dish similar to Pork Adobo. Pork Humba is sweeter and cooked in fermented black beans also known as Tausi. The key to a perfect Pork Humba is the right measurement of the ingredients and of course it will all depend on your palate. We at Lutong Bahay really like this recipe because of the sweetness and saltiness combined in one recipe, just perfect for plain white rice. 

Maja Blanca

Maja Blanca is made primarily of sweet corn with a creamy coconut milk base . It is widely known as coconut pudding and one of the favorite of most Filipinos.